European Solitary Centre Ignite CONVENTION CENTRE REPORT | Ignitemag.ca | 91 The problem is the focus on one-way presentation. Sitting in a session room with 75 other people listening to a presentation might be interesting, but chances are you’ll find yourself watching a dull PowerPoint slideshow explained with too much jargon and not enough charisma. If your goal is to network and bring back new tactics you can apply to your organization, the crowds and the spectacle of presenta- tion-focused events can get in the way. People frequently refer to these events as ‘shows’—but I would argue that a show is antithetical to a conference. Literally speaking, a ‘conference’ means a place for people to confer, a meeting of people to have a conversation about a certain subject. A show, on the other hand, implies a separation between the performers and the audience—and it’s this separation that execs are losing patience with. Trade shows are often seen as an obligation, taken for granted as something you just have to put up with. Too often, organizations don’t really examine whether or not these events are worth the time and expense. But today, as big events get even bigger and flashier, new conversational conferences are springing up to fill the demand for more focused, personal events. When people get a taste of these events and start seeing real results, they begin re-thinking all the “shows” on their calendar. Mitch Speers is CRO & Co-Founder of BuyerForesight, a Step2 Strategy Company The irony is that conference organizers feel the need to use big-name keynote speakers and special entertainment in order to justify these expenses for attendees, but the people who actually attend these events really come for the one-on-one conversations and new partnerships that foster community and collaboration. A format that facilitates real conversation among peers. This more personal model means connecting with more new clients, suppliers and partners, and a better ROI overall. Even if you’re not paying to attend (but especially if you are), it’s time to start thinking about your time and whether or not a conference is worth it. The megashows of the conference world will always be around but if you think that you should be the “showcase” at conferences, then these big, splashy events should take a back seat to the new conference model emerging: small, tailored events where vetted peers can converse and collaborate—putting all those attending on the centre stage of your industry’s innovation. New BruNswick’s premier meetiNg destiNatioN Erin Blanchard | [email protected] www.frederictonconventions.ca adjective 1. easily modified or adapted. a frexible meeting space. We’ll even go so far as to make up a new word to give you exactly what you need. Fredericton is welcoming and walkable, sociable and smart. And we’re 36,000 square feet in the centre of it all. Discover the true meaning of frexible in Fredericton. [ f r e k - s u h - b u h l ] frexible
